Invoice materials faster, with zero re-typing
Build one central catalogue of the parts and products you use most — each with a fixed code, description and price. Type a few letters in any work order, quote or invoice and pick the right item instantly. No more re-entering, no more pricing slip-ups.
With Materials in OutSmart you build a central catalogue with articles you often use. Each article has a code, description and fixed price. This way you don’t have to re‑enter everything every time: you type a few letters in a work order, quotation or invoice and select the correct product immediately. This provides speed, uniformity and fewer errors.
OutSmart Materials is an article catalogue and materials management module for field service companies. It stores all parts, products, and consumables with prices, units, and supplier references in a central database. Technicians select materials from the catalogue on-site, usage is linked to the work order automatically, and everything flows through to the invoice without manual re-entry.
Manual materials handling vs. OutSmart Materials
| Topic | Without OutSmart | With OutSmart |
|---|---|---|
| Article catalogue | Spreadsheet or binder — not accessible in the field | Digital catalogue available on every technician's phone |
| Pricing | Looked up manually per quote or invoice — errors common | Prices pulled from catalogue automatically — always current |
| Usage registration | Written on paper, reported later — often incomplete | Registered in the app at the moment of use, linked to the job |
| Invoice accuracy | Materials forgotten or estimated on the invoice | Every item used is captured and billed automatically |
| Catalogue updates | Updated in one place, circulated manually to field team | Update once — all devices reflect the change immediately |
| Supplier references | Stored separately — hard to find when ordering | Supplier code and reference stored per article for fast reordering |
Easily select materials
Because you centrally record your materials you work more efficiently in the field and in the back office. Technicians register their consumption with a few clicks while the administration benefits from clear and consistent data. This makes invoicing easier, prevents misunderstandings and gives insight into material consumption.
Materials also provide more grip on margins and inventory management. Because everyone uses the same catalogue you avoid duplicate or incorrect entries. This makes your business operations more consistent and professional and saves time in every process.
Practical example
An installer records standard articles such as copper pipes, screw sets and thermostats in OutSmart. During a job the technician selects the correct article with three letters. The price and description are immediately correct in the work order and invoice without any risk of typing errors.
Benefits
- Work faster – direct selection instead of manual entry
- Less error prone – always the same article codes and prices
- Uniformity – one clear catalogue for everyone
- Easy link to work orders, quotations and invoices
Work orders per year
Customers trust OutSmart
Years of experience
Frequently asked questions about OutSmart Materials
OutSmart Materials is a central article catalogue where you store all parts, products, and consumables used on jobs — with prices, units, VAT rates, and supplier references. Technicians select materials from this catalogue on-site, usage is linked to the work order, and everything flows to the invoice automatically.
Yes. The full article catalogue is available in the OutSmart mobile app. Technicians can search by name, code, or category, select the items they used, enter quantities, and attach them to the work order — all from their phone while still on-site.
Prices are managed centrally in OutSmart. When you update a price or add a new article, the change is immediately visible to all users on all devices. There is no need to distribute updated price lists or spreadsheets to the field team.
Yes. Customer-specific or contract-specific pricing can be configured per article. When a technician registers materials on a job for that client, OutSmart applies the agreed price automatically — no manual lookup or override needed.
Yes. Every article registered during a job is included in the work order and flows automatically to the billing module. When the invoice is generated, all materials are listed with the correct quantities and prices — no manual reconciliation required.
Yes. The catalogue supports categories and subcategories — for example, spare parts, consumables, and labour items can each have their own section. This makes it faster for technicians to find the right article on-site and helps managers maintain a structured catalogue.
Yes. OutSmart supports bulk import of article catalogues via CSV or direct integration with your accounting package. If your price list lives in Exact Online, AFAS, or SnelStart, items can be synchronised so both systems stay aligned automatically.